Cotswold Lavender — Attraction in Tewkesbury

I am writing to share an unfortunate experience I had at the entrance of your farm at around 5:10 pm on the 26th of July, which left me feeling quite disheartened.

While cycling in the area, I was lost came across this lavender farm and, not realising it had already closed for the day, I cycled past the first entrance (which did not appear to require a ticket) and stopped outside the main entrance — remaining entirely outside the chargeable area— simply wanted to take a photo of the lavender fields. So I politely asked the man standing near the gate if I could take some quick photos and I would leave soon.

However, I was taken aback by the unnecessarily abrupt and unkind way in which the man responded. Without any polite request or even a smile, he said “No” immediately after I asked him, and told me in a very rude tone that I should ask the staff inside the ticket office (which I failed to catch first), so I smiled apologetically saying I just wanted to take a 5-minute-break. Then he said this for the second time with a very unfriendly tone, and this time I caught it, so I asked the man coming out of the office for permission and took some photos. When I asked if the man near the gate could speak more politely, he turned the situation around and accused me of not behaving nicely. He said it was already closed, and I shouldn’t enter. So I just realised it and apologised to him many times for not seeing the ‘closed’ sign, but he made no attempt to apologise or soften his tone. He insisted he was not working there and I should ask the staff in the office. I hate to think about this, but I wondered would he have behaved differently if I were white?

I wrote a complaint email to them, and the owner replied without any apologies, not to mention in an arrogant and accusing tone, saying that I disobeyed their rules after hours. He sided with the man who is his friend, disregarding my opinion. If they have CCTV, they should see what had really happened. If they don’t, why is the owner so convinced that I should take 100% blame for this? Why does he, as a business owner, only believe his friend’s narrative instead of mine? CAN THE OWNER BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT HE WITNESSED EVERYTHING SO HE CAN JUDGE AND GET THE OBJECTIVE CONCLUSION THAT HIS DEAR FRIEND DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG?? IT IS MY MISTAKE TO ACCIDENTALLY ENTER THE FIRST UNGUARDED GATE WHICH SAID CLOSED AND I STAYED THERE FOR 15 MINUTES BECAUSE HE WAS RUDE TO ME!! SO WITHOUT MORE EVIDENCE, BOTH OF US SHOULD TAKE 50% OF THE BLAME WHICH I ALREADY APOLOGISED MANY TIMES. BUT SHOULD THEY RECEIVE ZERO BLAME FOR WHAT THEY SAID AND DID? I swear to God it was the owner’s friend who was rude first, and all of my behaviours, including staying in the grounds for another 15 minutes, was due to his attitudes! Another detail was that there were still many visitors inside the farm and grounds then.

All I want is an apology. Please DON’T REPLY TO THIS UNLESS YOU SINCERELY APOLOGISE AND REPLY TO MY EMAIL. I have reported this to the authorities and will keep on exposing this to Chinese social networks as an influencer for their rudeness and suspected racism. I am not threatening anyone. All I want is just my dignity and an apology from them and this...

Come here most years. If you time it right (end of July), you can arrive at harvest time, still see loads of Lavender growing in the fields but also see (and Smell!) some of it being harvested in the distillery.

It's not the most exciting place I have to admit. So I do understand some of the comments about it being "expensive for what it is". But what you get is a relaxing place to spend a few hours without phone signal and just peace and quiet and to some that will be worth it.

PROS If you avoid the weekends, it's a huge area loads of space to park, and walk around, take photos without bumping into people or having them photobombing you.

Every year they add something new. This year they had a woodland walk. Really didn't expect much, but it's lovely and quite deceiving how big an area it is. Get to the top corner and you realise you're on a proper hill with a fabulous view. Lots of little bits for younger people to play on, hide and seek etc. That's really good. I like how the owners invest back into the business and add things.

The shop / cafe kiosk being outside in a cabin. This just works. Few years ago it was in a barn and if you arrived on a semi-busy day, it was HELL. Lines and lines of people waiting to buy stuff, slow service and just so many people it was anxiety-inducing. The new design is better. It's much more efficient.

Lots of bee friendly plants added. Too much of one crop in an area can be harmful, so this is a really nice touch to add diversity. There are also little signs in one area telling you the variety and name of the plants so you can buy your own.

CONS Still using Portaloos. They're rank at the best of times and these are a blight on a nice experience. On a slope, doors banging closed, and just gross. I'd like to see them set up something more substantial.

Surrounding roads. Absolutely nothing the owners can do about the narrow tracks, but some more signage around could help people find (and leave) the site better. No signal coverage for most phone networks, so if you get lost it's bad.

Waste. Most of the stuff they sell (cups, cans, bottles) is 100% recyclable, but just one general waste bin to put it all in. Not good. For a business that must make well in excess of £10,000 a day from visiting trade. They should be doing their bit and allowing recycling to happen.

Food options. Pretty limited, and hardly any...

Beautiful location whether you’re visiting on your own, with friends or with the family!

Cotswold Lavender is a wonderful place to spend a more or an afternoon regardless of the weather. We took a chance on the weather in the hopes it would just stay cloudy and thankfully it did. There’s plenty of free parking available however it is on grass so if it’s been raining a lot, this could be problematic. Cotswold Lavender posted about this potential issue on their Instagram so their communication is great.

It cost £7.50 for me to enter and my toddler was free. (Under 5s go free). He received a badge and an activity booklet for the new Beechwood Trail. We visited in late July so the flowers were in full bloom and it was full of bees! We also had the pleasure of seeing ladybirds, butterflies and grasshoppers. There are endless rows of lavender to explore. Most people seem to hang around near the entrance but if you walk down to the far end, you can really get some nice photos as there are considerably fewer people.

On top of the lavender fields, there are also wildflowers and marigolds to enjoy, near to the Beechwood Trail. My little boy ditched his wellies and he was safe walking about in just his socks, and then barefoot on the trail.

They also have a little shop selling food, drink, plants and items from their lavender shop, which I took advantage of. Last time I visited, I enjoyed lavender ice cream, which was amazing and this time I had a lemon and lavender cake, which was super moist and tasty.

You are welcome to bring your own food, they have ample seating under cover to protect from sun and rain, and they also have free WiFi, which is a huge bonus.

Highly recommend a visit if...